


Cold Hands, Warm Heart

by handwrittenhello



Series: Birthday Fics [5]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Loves Jaskier | Dandelion, Huddling For Warmth, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Winter At Kaer Morhen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28086504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handwrittenhello/pseuds/handwrittenhello
Summary: They shouldn’t have waited so long to make their way up north to Kaer Morhen, Geralt knew. The paths were slick with ice and the wind bit straight through their clothes, no matter how many layers—normally Geralt would have left three weeks ago, before the season really turned.But Jaskier had had that competition in Lyria, and when he begged Geralt to stay, well, he couldn’t really say no to those big, pleading eyes, could he? And it had been worth it, to see the way he lit up with joy when they announced his first-place award.So he didn’t regret staying, but he did feel remorse now, when he saw how blue Jaskier’s lips and fingertips were, when he could feel him violently shivering against his front.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Birthday Fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059878
Comments: 10
Kudos: 215





	Cold Hands, Warm Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoddessOfTheVoid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessOfTheVoid/gifts).



> written for GoddessOfTheVoid. happy (belated) birthday!!
> 
> also, i'm pretty sure the title is also the title of the song, but it's unrelated, i promise

They shouldn’t have waited so long to make their way up north to Kaer Morhen, Geralt knew. The paths were slick with ice and the wind bit straight through their clothes, no matter how many layers—normally Geralt would have left three weeks ago, before the season really turned.

But Jaskier had had that competition in Lyria, and when he begged Geralt to stay, well, he couldn’t really say no to those big, pleading eyes, could he? And it had been worth it, to see the way he lit up with joy when they announced his first-place award.

So he didn’t regret staying, per se, but he did feel remorse now, when he saw how blue Jaskier’s lips and fingertips were, when he could feel him violently shivering against his front where they were sat upon Roach.

“Almost there, Jask,” Geralt murmured, rubbing a gloved hand briskly up and down his arm. Jaskier nodded, though it was almost lost in the shivers wracking his body.

Geralt spurred Roach on a bit faster, as fast as he dared with the path so treacherous. At least it wasn’t snowing—that could easily spell death for them all.

Jaskier shivered again, bringing his hands up to his mouth so his breath could warm them, and Geralt adjusted his cloak so that there wasn’t an inch of skin uncovered on the bard. He wished that he weren’t wearing his armor, so that Jaskier might absorb more of his body heat, but couldn’t run the risk. Too many monsters lurked in the mountains—he needed to be prepared for anything.

“At least it’s p-pretty,” Jaskier stuttered, looking around in awe at the view surrounding them. Geralt had to admit he was right; even in winter, the valley was a thing of beauty, imposing cliffs cutting up the horizon, stark against the white of the snow that blanketed the ground.

“Pretty enough for a ballad?” Geralt asked.

“M-maybe once I can feel my f-fingers,” Jaskier huffed, laughing breathlessly.

“Hmm. Sorry,” Geralt offered, wishing desperately that he could do something. He was helpless, though, in the face of nature. Monsters, he could fight; weather, not so much.

They traveled in silence for the next hour or so, and though Geralt knew the keep was close by, he doubted they would make it before sunset. “Fuck,” he muttered.

“W-what?”

“We’ll have to make camp. I don’t want to risk Roach in the dark.” _Or you_ went unsaid.

Jaskier tried to shrug, but it came off jerkily from his nonstop shivering. “Another n-night under the stars won’t be so b-bad,” he said, but Geralt could tell the enthusiasm was forced.

The continued down the path, towards a cave that he knew lay just off the road ahead. Even in the growing gloom, his witcher eyes easily spotted the crevice that marked the cave’s entrance.

He dismounted quickly, yanking Jaskier off shortly after and wrapping his cloak snugly around him. “Stay with Roach while I set up camp. Share body heat,” he instructed. Jaskier obediently leaned into Roach, cooing under his breath about _what a good girl she was, yes, there were so many apples in her future._

Geralt set up camp inside the cave as quickly as possible; luckily, there was a pile of musty old furs stacked in the corner from the year before. He spread them out in a thick layer on the ground so no cold could seep through, then set their bedrolls on top, and then piled even more furs on top. There was no wood for a fire, though, and neither could he go out and collect any; it would be too wet to burn. Hopefully his body heat would be enough to keep Jaskier warm through the night.

He went back to the mouth of the cave, where Jaskier and Roach still stood, and was dismayed to find that it had since started snowing, just little gentle snowflakes, but the dark clouds overhead promised much more in the near future.

“C’mon,” he muttered to Jaskier, who had closed his eyes where he was leaning against Roach. “You can sleep inside once you eat something.”

“J-just resting my eyes,” Jaskier stammered as Geralt led him deeper in the cave.

He sat him down in the pile of furs and handed him a handful of dried fruit. “No hunting here, I’m afraid,” he said. “Almost nothing worth eating lives this high in the mountains.”

“Ah well. Cheers,” Jaskier said, toasting him with the fruit. Geralt left him to eat and went to tend to Roach. It was short work to untack her and drape the horse blanket over her, and then leave her to graze among the admittedly sparse grass at the mouth of the cave.

With that done, he returned to see that Jaskier had since curled up underneath the furs so that only his mop of hair stuck out.

“Jaskier?” Geralt said softly, but there was no answer. He’d already fallen asleep, apparently, despite the constant shivering.

Geralt removed his armor quickly, then pulled back the furs to climb inside the makeshift nest. Jaskier whined wordlessly when the cold air hit him, squeezing his eyes shut even more, but didn’t wake. Geralt situated himself underneath as quickly as he could, pulling the furs back over the both of them.

Jaskier turned, instinctively seeking warmth. Geralt chuckled fondly, throwing an arm over Jaskier and pulling him flush against his body. Jaskier burrowed deeper, pressing his cold nose into Geralt’s neck and winding his legs around Geralt’s. They stung with cold, but Geralt didn’t mind.

He lay there for a while, unable to sleep while he could feel Jaskier shivering against him; it hurt to know that Jaskier was suffering. Eventually, though, his muscles relaxed, his shivering tapering off as he leeched warmth from Geralt.

Jaskier sighed in his sleep, and smiled, nosing closer to Geralt. Geralt smiled too, helplessly; how had the bard managed to sneak so deep inside of his heart?

He fells asleep that way, marveling at the love he felt so strongly in an unguarded moment. In the morning, they would face the world again, but right now, it was just the two of them alone in their cocoon of warmth. Happy. Safe. Loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Please take a minute to leave kudos or a comment if you liked it! also, find me on tumblr [here](https://handwrittenhello.tumblr.com)!


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